Dr. Goldmann Says He Will Settle in Israel; Will Not Run for Knesset

Dr. Nahum Goldmann, president of the World Zionist Organization, declared his “readiness” here yesterday to settle in Israel “shortly, ” and–to join the new Liberal Party, formed here two weeks ago through the merger of the Progressive and General Zionist parties.

Dr. Goldmann stated he is “not yet ready” to run for the Knesset (Parliament) on the Liberal Party ticket to be drawn up by the party for the forthcoming national elections, to be held in August. But, he declared, he would participate in the election campaign’ in support of the Liberal list.

The president of the WZO told a conference of Liberal Party leaders that he cannot run for the Knesset because he will be unable to discontinue his many activities, as Zionist leader and in other capacities, in the short time remaining before the August elections. However, he assured the Liberal leaders that, when he settles in Israel, he would be ready to take up any suitable function to be proposed by the party. Meanwhile, he reiterated his readiness to participate in the election campaign on behalf of the Liberal list.

(The New York Times, in a cable from its correspondent in Jerusalem, reported today that Dr. Goldmann said he “would relinquish his United States citizenship and Join the new Liberal Party in Israel. The Zionist leader’s action marked a personal challenge to Premier David Ben-Gurion. ” )

Deputies of the Progressive party and General Zionist party factions in the Knesset will sit as one faction when the Knesset is reconvened this week after the Passover recess, according to Moshe Kol, General Zionist leader.

He told a meeting of the executives of the two merged parties–now the executive of the new Liberal party–that the goal of the new party platform is to achieve a regime in which national interests came first. The naming of executive units and functions of the new party have been postponed until after the elections next August. Until then there will be two functionaries for each post, including two chairmen and two general secretaries.